hopkinson



. A. HOPKINSON;

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRIVING TUNNELS FOR MILITARY 0R QTHER PURPOSES IN EARTH 0R SOFT ROCK.

APPL ICATIDN FILED AUG-6. I917.

1,347,332. Patented July 20,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

AUSTIN HOPKINSON, OF GUIDE BRIDGE, ENGLAND.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DEIVING TUNNELS FOR MILITARY OR OTHER PURPOSES INIEARTI-I OR SOFT ROCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,722.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN HorKINsoN, a

, subject of the King of Great Britain, residor Soft Rock, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for drlving tunnels for military or other purposes in earth or soft rock.

In the system according to the invention, in the tunnel shaft, or outside the entrance to the tunnel, if there is no shaft, are placed an electric motor or other suitable means for operating a belt conveyer which removes the debris and a belt reservoir for enabling the working length of the conveyer belt to be altered as required.

The motor is geared to the rollers dr1ving the belt conveyer and the debris from the latter is discharged into a hopper and then into sand bags or other convenient receptacles.

When an advance corresponding .to a pre determined and constantlength has been made, the excavating machine is withdrawn on its slides through this distance and tubbing comprising hinged members, which can be readily passed when folded together along the tunnel without interfering with the excavating and conveying machinery. is

put into position: at the same time a section of flooring is laid.

If a short section of conveyer cover has been previously placed in position immediately behind the excavating machine, this section is removed and a longer section inserted and the length of the conveyer belt adjusted accordingly by the belt reservoir;

each short section of the conveyor cover corresponds to a section of the tubbing and flooring, and the full length of each conveyer cover section is a multiple of this standard. section. When a full length section of the coveris placed in position an member is connected by a universal joint to a tube containing a spiral for conveying to the belt convcyer the debris removed from the working face of the tunnel by a helical cutter secured to the rotating shaft of the spiral conveyor. The tube can be swiveled by the operator about both a horizontal and a vertical axis, within limits provided by a guide frame conforming on a smaller scale to the cross section which may be of any form of the tunnel and secured to the sliding frame of the machine. The position and dimensions of the guide frame are such that the cutter can traverse every part of the working face of the tunnel.

Debris falling clear of the spiral conveyer is arranged to drop on an inclined apron from which it is easily raked up into the conveyor.

An important feature of the invention consists in the arrangements by which, when the excavation has been advanced by the required length, sections of tubbing, flooring and conveyor cover, previously prepared and of constant dimensions, can be placed in position without the removal of any of the machinery.

As the operation can be effected noiselessly, it is especially suited to military purposes.

The accompanying drawings represent an example of an excavator and conveyor according to the invention. Figure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan showing more particularly the excavator and its attachments. Fig. 3 is a side elevation and Fig. 4; a plan of the driving gear of the conveyer. 5 shows a section of the tunnel; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are, respectively, a side elevation, an end elevation and a plan of a portion of the conveyer.

A. tube 1 contains a worm conveyor 2 armed at the front end with a helical cutter'3. The tube 1 is carried by the frame 4 which slides on guides 5 carried by frames 5. The frame 5 is carried on runners 6 so that it may easily be moved forward or backward. The rear end of the tube 1 is supported in trunnions 6' (Fig. about which it can turn in a vertical plane; the trunnion arms are connected to a vertical socket pin 7, pivoted in the frame 41, which allows the tube 1 to turn in a horizontal plane. Thetube can consequently be moved in any required position by means of hantunnel.

tated by the telescopic shaft 11' which is provided at each end with universal couplings l2 and 13 and is driven through bevel wheels 1i and chain gear 15 from a roller 16 rotated by the belt 17 of the conveyer. The driver canfeed or retract the cutter and worm conveyer by sliding the frame l 011 the guides 5 and can cause the rotating cutting tool to traverse the whole surface of the end of the tunnel.

The excavated material passes along the worm conveyer 2 until it falls through a vent 18 upon the belt 17 by which it is conveyed to the entrance of the tunnel. The belt is guided by rollers 19.-

The driving gear for the conveyer (Figs. 3 and 4;) is usually placed outside the entrance to the tunnel, or, when the latter has attained a length greater'than the length of the conveyer, in an enlarged section of the The motive power may be an electric motor 20 driving through suitable gearing rollers 21, 22, which are geared together by spur Wheels 23, 24. The conveyer belt 17 is driven by the" rollers 21, 22' and is guided by rollers 25 to a belt reservoir 26, which consists of a series of rollers 27 in a suspended frame 28. On lowering the frame an extra length of belt becomes available for the conveyor in the tunnel.

The material excavated and conveyed along the belt is thrown off the latter into a hopper 29, which may be provided with a vent 3O forfilling sandbags or other receptacles, and these or the material may be removed by an. elevating conveyer out of the shaft.v In the arrangement shown, the motor and other parts are carried on crossgirdersBl which are connected by sockets to the driving-roller frame and to adjustable sockets 32 on the shaft lining. ater in the tunneldrains away by a pipe 33 and a pipe '34; is connected with a fan for ventilating in position without uncoupling the belt. The

frames 35 are connected by covers 38, 89 which hold them in position and are at tached to them by pins i0 fitting into sockets on the frames. The short cover 38 is the same lengtli as one section of the tunnellining. This cover can be replaced by otlr ers of twice and three times the length; the full length cover 39 is four times as long as the cover 38.

When the excavator has cut a length equal to one section of tunnel-lining, the belt reservoir is lowered, and the conveyer cover nearest the excavator is replaced by one of the next largest size, and so on, until a further roller-frame is required, after which the shortest cover is inserted and the process repeated, theexcavator being pushed forward on its runners the required distance at each stage.

The tunnel-lining (Fig. 5) consists of two, three, or more members, l1, hinged together. A loose member 42 may be inserted in a slotted hinged?) and pressed into position and the tunnel folded up and insertedfin posiien as soon as suflicient length has been excavated.

Having thus described the nature of th. r-aid invention and the best means I know 0 carrying the same into practical effect, claim w 1. An excavator for tunneling, comprisina'. in combination, a cutter, means for operating the cutter in. any plane, a shaft can sing the cutter, supports for. the shaft, nd r: 'gzuide frame in advance of said suppor s limiting the positionsof the cutter and si lzil in outline to the crosssection of the tan-- nel to be driven.

2. An excavator for ti-inneling, compr sing, in combination, a worm conveyor free to move in: any plane, a helical cutter secured id worm. conveyer, and a guide frame limiting the positions of the cutter and similar in outline to, but of smaller dimensions than, the cross-section of the tunnel to be driven.

3.. An excavator for tunneling, compris ing. in combination, a cutter, a guide frame for limiting the range of movement of said (Jittery-said guide frame being similar in out line to but of smaller dimensions than the cross-section of the tunnel, and said cutter being movable into any position within the in combination a cutter, means for operating the cutter in any plane, a guide frame limiting the motion of the cutter and conforming in outline to the cross section of the tunnel, a belt conveyer, rollers driven by the belt conveyer and gearing operated by the rollers for imparting rotational movement to the said cutter.

5. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a cutter, a belt conveyer, rollers driven by the belt conveyer, gearing operated by the rollers for imparting rotary movement to the said cutter ancla belt reservoir comprising a suspended frame and rollers thereon. I v

6. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a cutter, a telescopic shaft provided at each end with universal couplings, a worm conveyer driven by the said telesco )lC shaft"a belt conve er rollers driven by the belt conveyer and gearing operated'by the rollers for rotating the said telescopic shaft.

7. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a cutter, means for operating the cutter in any plane, a guide frame limiting the motion of the cutter and conforming in outline to the cross section of the tunnel, a belt conveyer, rollers over which said conveyer moves, and a telescopic shaft driven by said rollers and adapted to rotate said cutter.

- 8. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a cutter movable into any plane, a guide limiting the motion of the cutter and conforming in outline to the cross section of the tunnel, a belt conveyer, power driven rollers for driving said conveyer, and a telescopic shaft driven by said rollers for rotating said cutter.

9. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a sliding frame, guides on which said frame is advanced or retracted, a

belt conveyer, a telescopic shaft driven from the said conveyer, a cutter carried by the said frame and rotated by the said telescopic shaft and a guide for the said cutter con formin in outline to the cross section of the tunnel mounted on the said frame.

10. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a frame sliding on rails, a belt conveyer, a telescopic shaft driven by rollers from the said conveyer and provided with universal oints at each end, a member carrying a cutting tool, rotated by the said telescopic shaft and supported on the said frame so as to be freely movable about a horizontal and also about a vertical axis, and a guide limiting the movements of the said cutting tool and conforming in outline to the cross section of the tunnel.

11. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a cutter, means for operating the cutter in any plane, a guide limit ing the motion of the cutter and conforming in outline to the cross section of the tunnel, a tubular worm conveyer, a belt conveyer and a hopper provided with a vent to which receptacles for receiving excavated material can be applied.

12. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a sliding frame, guides on which the said frame can be advanced and retracted, a belt conveyer, a cutter carried by the said sliding frame and means for rotating the cutter from the belt conveyer.

13. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a sliding frame, guides on which the said frame can be advanced or retracted, a belt conveyer, a cutter carried by the said sliding frame and means for rotating the cutter from the belt conveyer,

sections of flooring supporting the Sliding frame and sections of hinged tunnel linings on which the sections of flooring rest.

14. An excavator for tunneling, comprising in combination a frame, guides on which the said frame slides, a belt conveyer, a telescopic shaft driven by rollers from the said conveyer and provided with universal joints at each end, a member carrying a cutting tool, rotated by the said telescopic shaft and supported on the said frame so as to be freely movable about a horizontal and also about a vertical axis, and a guide limiting the movements of the said cutting tool and conforming in outline to the cross section of the tunnel, said cutting tool being movable into any position within the limits prescribed by said guide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUSTIN HOPKINSON.

Witnesses:

A. SUDREN, LEONARD R. VVIGGINS. 

